


I'm Reaching for A Saving Grace

by Kairi_Ruka



Series: Ethan Lives and He's Happy [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alive Ethan Nakamura, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Gen, Not Beta Read, Out of Character, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson), Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairi_Ruka/pseuds/Kairi_Ruka
Summary: The floor under his feet cracked open, and Ethan stumbled into the air below, falling like a dead bird toward the earth.This is it, he thought as wind whipped around him and he felt his heart beating harder and harder against his rib cage above every pain he endured.I know one eye for respect would never be enough. So be it, then.
Relationships: Ethan Nakamura & Nemesis, Ethan Nakamura and everyone
Series: Ethan Lives and He's Happy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911838
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	I'm Reaching for A Saving Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Out of character. Not necessarily tied to the previous fic. You've been warned. 
> 
> Title from Falling Apart by Papa Roach! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The floor under his feet cracked open, and Ethan stumbled into the air below, falling like a dead bird toward the earth.

 _This is it_ , he thought as wind whipped around him and he felt his heart beating harder and harder against his rib cage above every pain he endured. _I know one eye for respect would never be enough. So be it, then._

But then everything around him slowed down until he felt more like laying on a descending elevator floor rather than falling to his death before it stopped completely.

"Ethan Nakamura, huh," a voice said, from his right and startling him. Ethan had to take a double-take when he saw a tall man standing beside him with dark, blue-ish wings on his back and -- weirdly -- a pure black iPad on hand. "Congratulations," he continued with an indifferent tone, as if he was a retail worker that had more work on his desk so he couldn't pay special attention to either one.

Ethan wanted to ask about what the heck was the god -- because honestly, there was no way this wasn't a god -- talking about when his golden eyes finally lifted from his iPad and stared directly at Ethan's.

"You believe you would die today," he said, matter-of-factly. "Well, congratulations because you won't. You are not present in my list -- for now, anyway. You will still have a nasty landing though, so good luck with that."

Despite the shocking news, the only thing Ethan could think as a reply was _gee, thanks_. From the god's words, Ethan guessed that he could only be Thanatos, the God of Death.

"Well, I guess that's it. I have bigger deaths to take care of. See you later, Son of Nemesis," the god said with a distracted nod before he flew away, and Ethan's fall suddenly un-paused and he got all the air in his lungs forced out with one painful jolt.

He couldn't say he was proud of passing out mid-air before he even crashed to the ground, but after hearing how bad it was, he was kind of grateful.

He lost his consciousness right before his body hit something with a nasty crack, followed with horrified screams all around him.

⇢⇢⇢⇠⇠⇠

"He's waking up!"

"Thank the gods, I thought he was a goner for a sec there."

Ethan grunted at the voices surrounding him and tried to move, but even just flicking his wrist sent a wave of pain to his body.

"Whoa, whoa, don't move yet," someone said hurriedly. "You're just gonna hurt yourself more."

"Fell," was the only word Ethan could muster with his hurting jaw. His mouth tasted like dried grass and ash. Another voice grumbled from his other side.

"Dude, just shut up. Yeah, you crash-landed right on top of the emergency medic tent and scared everyone. Also, you almost died, so if you can shut your mouth and go back to sleep, it will be appreciated," that other voice deadpanned.

"I think more sleep will do him good," the first voice mused.

"No shit. Here," the second voice said, and there was some rustle as the owners of the voices exchanged something just above his stomach. Then Ethan felt a sharp pinch on his arm before everything went black.

⇢⇢⇢⇠⇠⇠

The second time Ethan gained his consciousness, it was afternoon -- or at least after sunset, because the lights were all turned on and shadows casted from the windows.

He heard noises and automatically pretended to still be asleep.

"Are you sure he can be trusted?" a weary, adult man voice asked. Considering what had happened to him, Ethan couldn't help but to feel self-conscious. He knew he was the subject in this conversation.

"Yes," a boy said. "He helped us and turned on Kronos right on the last second before he fell."

Ethan stomped down on the urge to roll his eye. Percy Jackson. Figured he would be the one who tells everyone about his last heroic deed. Well, it wasn't like stabbing Kronos once was enough to gain trust from anyone. His attack wasn't even effective. Instead he got the taste of his own sword right to the guts.

"Yes, his act will be taken into consideration. But-"

"Chiron, please. You can talk to him when he's awake later. And if not for him, then build it for honoring his mother."

At that, Ethan perked up. Maybe, maybe there was a chance Nemesis could get a place? He knew hoping for his mother to have a special throne between the twelve Olympians was a lost cause. But the throne was just a metaphor. He just wanted every gods and goddess to be respected, and so their kids would be claimed and not spend their whole life wondering who was actually their godly mother or father.

There was silence before Chiron spoke up once more, this time with more certainty. "Alright," he said, "I guess that is wise. I will discuss this with him. But for now, you need rest, my boy. You've had a long day."

A timid 'yeah' was the only reply from Percy. Then Ethan heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor followed with hooves-steps and the sound of the door closing, finally leaving the Son of Nemesis alone on his bed in the dim-lighted infirmary.

"Now what?" he asked no one in particular. His body still felt like it had flattened under a truck, but his mind was restless. He hadn't thought of what he would do if he survived the war. Of course, if Kronos had won, he would be still on the titan's side. When he fell from Olympus, he'd thought he would just … die, and probably face Hades for the second time that day. But now? He didn't know. Kronos was defeated, and he was alive. Should he go away from the camp? Should he stay? Should he pray to his mother for a clue? But knowing Nemesis, she would probably give him a price for an answer.

He sighed heavily and closed his eye. Maybe he could just see how everyone reacts to his survival and take it from there.

He was about to force himself back to sleep when a flash of light surprised him and he almost jumped out of his bed, except his wounds reacted all at once and a sharp pain forced him to lay back down with stuttered breath.

But the light wasn't some kind of monster sneaking into the infirmary or enemies with laser guns trained on him. (What? He'd seen weirder things, okay?)

It was a symbol he knew well. Two swords crossing each other under a set of metal scales, perfectly balanced. The symbol bathed the infirmary room in dark purple haze as it glowed in the dim room before all of it shut off suddenly and left him alone in the room as if the symbol had never been there in the first place.

Ethan felt like his breath was being held in his lungs with shackles. He had met Nemesis once, but they didn't exactly meet at the best time, and the only interaction they had was just the exchange of one eye for peace and respect. She didn't claim him officially then.

She did it now.

And for the first time in his life, Ethan felt like he finally had a place in this world.

⇢⇢⇢⇠⇠⇠

People were … weary of him for a good while. They didn't act hostile, for the record, but there was definitely a chasm between him and other campers, especially because for a while, he was the only Child of Nemesis who lived in Nemesis Cabin.

But after considering the pros and cons for the first few days, Ethan decided that he didn't care. He had a place here. His own place, not a shared place with the Hermes kids and feel abandoned and unclaimed. There would be no one who could drive him away from his home.

He made friends with a few Apollo kids because they were the ones who were busy taking care of him even before they knew he'd turn his back on Kronos. He'd apologized to them for the deaths of Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew, two of their cabin counselors. They regarded his apology with sad ease, saying that while he had his part, it was never completely his fault.

Ethan knew being accepted in the camp was his right, but he still owed the other campers their siblings' deaths, so he worked all day, helping anyone who would accept his help until one night, he came back to his cabin to find a slip of fortune from fortune cookie on his bedside table.

It only consisted of two words; _that's enough_.

Ethan sighed and kept the slip of paper inside his drawer. He knew his mother wasn't the best goddess out there … but she was enough for him to fight for.

⇢⇢⇢⇠⇠⇠

"She insulted me first!" a thirteen-looking boy cried angrily from a dejected-looking Chiron's side, pointing to a girl his age. Both children looked at each other with absolute loathing.

Ethan, who had just finished teaching the sword fighting class for the younger campers, directed his steps to the commotion and slipped to stand between Malcolm and Nora.

"What's this?" he asked, gesturing to the two children and ignoring the glare Malcolm sent him for accidentally elbowing the Son of Athena on the ribs.

Nora, an Apollo camper with army-styled buzz-cut, grinned and gave him a shrug. "A satyr just saved these two from a … I'm not sure. He said something about wolf-man? Werewolf, probably. Anyway, he told us that Damien and Chiara have been arguing all the way here and even Chiron can't force them to make peace," she explained. "Their godly parents are probably rivals, so … yeah, we're waiting for them getting claimed."

"Wow, you guys really have nothing to do, huh?" Ethan commented, but he stayed too until Chiron finally lost his patience and asked Nora to bring Chiara to the infirmary and Malcolm to drag the still-fuming Damien to Hermes Cabin.

Both of them got claimed at the campfire that night, just one minute apart from each other.

Right after Apollo Cabin finished the sing-along, a symbol blazed over Chiara's head, startling the two demigods sitting on her sides. It was a logo of a golden coin with a four-leafed clover engraved on the surface.

Chiron, who was sitting at the head table as usual, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to the slightly-stunned Chiara. "Hail, Chiara Benvenuti, Daughter of Tyche, Goddess of Luck," he declared solemnly, followed with an applause from the other campers around the fire. Even Damien looked more or less impressed, although that might be for the fact that it was his first time seeing someone getting claimed.

"Wait," Malcolm muttered, "if her mother is Tyche, then Damien…."

Not too soon after he said that, another glowing symbol appeared on the air, this time above Damien's head. Ethan's eye widened as he watched the symbol he was quite familiar with floating up and down -- two swords crossing each other under a set of balanced scales.

His mother's symbol.

Chiron, who apparently had a hunch that this would happen and didn't sit right back down after Chiara's claiming, bowed down once more.

"And hail, Damien White; Son of Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge," he announced, and his amused tone was not unheard by all of the campers present.

Ethan snapped out of his surprise and he stood up suddenly, startling Will and Connor who sat on his sides.

"Hail, my little brother!" he crowed gleefully into the night, and followed by cheers from his friends. Damien looked at him with a slightly horrified-embarrassed look before the younger boy settled his expression on annoyed.

When Ethan sat back down, Will regarded him with an amused look. "You know it's probably not wise to embarrass him in front of us, right? You know what would _you_ do if you get embarrassed," he said.

Ethan shrugged. "Eh," he replied, "he has a lot to learn first before he can throw a proper payback at me. Besides, holding a grudge builds character, ya'know."

Connor snorted from his other side. "Yeah, and you would know, huh?" he teased.

Ethan laughed softly as he stared into the wild, high-spirited chatter around him and relived the fact that all of these demigods had been getting fairly claimed. They were equal now. Balanced.

"Yeah," he answered lightly, his dark eye reflecting the light of the campfire. "I would know."

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write more characters like Chris Rodriguez and more but I just couldn't find a right place to put them in, so ... yeah. 
> 
> My tumblr is @vampiregirlluca, in case anyone wants to know! (no one, apparently)


End file.
